THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, DINNIMAN, STACK, WARD, BAKER, FONTANA, ALLOWAY, PILEGGI, BOSCOLA, SCHWANK, KASUNIC, PIPPY, MENSCH, YUDICHAK, FERLO, EARLL, FARNESE, WASHINGTON AND ERICKSON, OCTOBER 17, 2011

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 17, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Designating the month of October 2011 as "Pennsylvania's Promise

for Children Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, According to the Office of Child Development and

Early Learning Risk Report 2009-2010, there are approximately

737,000 children from birth to age five in Pennsylvania today;

and

WHEREAS, A young child's brain forms 700 neural synapses a

second; and the circuits for key functions such as

vision/hearing, language and higher cognitive function develop

most in the first five years of life. The creation of these

circuits is affected by a child's early learning environment;

and

WHEREAS, Quality early learning and child development play a

major role in a child's future success in school and in life;

and

WHEREAS, Young children learn best when they have proper

health and nutrition, a safe and stable family and home life and

activities that stimulate creativity, curiosity and all of the

skills they will need to succeed in school and life; and

WHEREAS, The Abecedarian Project and Perry Preschool Project

tell us that forty years of research shows that children

receiving high-quality early education are more likely to be

prepared for and do better in school, graduate high school,

attend college or job training and be better prepared for a

competitive work force; and

WHEREAS, Talking, reading and playing with children from

birth builds the language, math and social skills they need to

be ready for kindergarten; and

WHEREAS, Choosing quality early learning programs like

Keystone STARS, Pre-K Counts, Head Start, Early Intervention,

Nurse-Family Partnership and Parent-Child Home Program will

partner with families and provide children with good teachers

and learning activities that spark creativity and a love for

learning so they can grow and develop; and

WHEREAS, Every $1 invested in quality early education saves

at least $7 in special education, public assistance, corrections

and lost taxes; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of October 2011

as "Pennsylvania's Promise for Children Month," recognizing that

every child in Pennsylvania deserves access to quality early

learning opportunities and that it is the civic responsibility

of every Pennsylvanian to help our children reach their promise.